OPTIKUM

Alexandra Pfammatter

Whether in the street or on the internet, people behave differently when they think they’re being watched. When fearful of negative consequences of surveillance, they tend to adjust their behavior or even censor themselves.

In the interactive installation „OPTIKUM“ Alexandra Pfammatter provokes similar reactions in her audience. An app creates an environment, which subtly suggests to visitors that they are being watched – a feeling that is both experienced and never clearly substantiated. Pfammatter uses visual stylistic means, which alternately convey a sense of intimacy or paranoia.

Again and again, she confronts the observer with the question: “how does surveillance influence my own conduct?” The participants’ reactions become part of the process.